


of oceans and heavens and souls

by plsletmerest



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Brotherly Bonding, Brotherly Love, Family Feels, Gen, discusses death, pretty sad tbh why do i do this
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-25
Updated: 2017-08-25
Packaged: 2018-12-19 17:21:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,629
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11902497
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/plsletmerest/pseuds/plsletmerest
Summary: “When I die, do you think my soul will be sent to heaven or to the ocean?”





	of oceans and heavens and souls

**Author's Note:**

> sorry i'm so angsty

“Hey, fratello,” Veneziano said, sitting on his beach towel and facing out to the sea.

“What do you want?” Romano asked, irritated. He didn’t bother getting up or even opening his eyes. He was perfectly comfortable lazing on his beach towel, thank you very much. He had been drifting off to sleep before Veneziano had killed the silence, like always. Whatever his brother wanted to ask, couldn’t it have waited?

Not catching his older brother’s irritation (or more likely choosing to ignore it, given its frequency), Veneziano plowed through.

“When I die, do you think my soul will be sent to heaven or to the ocean?”

Romano did sit up now, even more irritated. This was what his dumbass brother wanted? What the fuck?

Apparently Veneziano took his movement as a signal to explain himself so he kept talking.

“I mean, of course there’s heaven, but they say the ocean takes souls too. And I belong to the Adriatic after all. I wonder which one I’ll go to. I don’t think I’d mind either, but wouldn’t it be cold in the ocean? Then again, it could be cold in heaven too. Oh and big brother France is a big believer in reincarnation. That would be nice too, though I don’t know what I’d be reincarnated as. What do you think, fratello?”

Un. Be. Lieve. Able.

“You’re interrupting our nap for that shit?! Can’t you philosophize some other time?” Romano responded, incredulous. Where did his brother come up with this shit?

“Vehehe, sorry big brother. It just came to me!”

“Well, don’t worry about it, dumbass. You’re going to hell anyways. We all are.”

Amazingly, that seemed to shut Veneziano up real fast. In fact, the other nation’s excitement and good cheer rapidly disappeared, leaving him looking a bit like a deflated birthday balloon.

“O-oh… I see…” Romano watched his younger brother stutter out, slowly curling into himself, “I guess… that makes sense too. After the life I’ve lived…”

Romano groaned. This was unbelievable. How come he had to feel all guilty now? Stupid baby brother. Why was he even making a big deal out of this, it was obvious that Romano wasn’t serious. Right?

Veneziano, noticing that he’d let himself get carried away with his thoughts, perked up again and slapped on a vibrant smile.

“The sun sure feels nice today, huh?”

“Hey, Veneziano.”

“Napping on the beach was a great idea, big brother!”

“Veneziano!”

“Mm, you’re right though. We should get back to it or siesta time will be over before we could even fall asleep!”

And with that Veneziano plopped back down onto his towel, his back turned to Romano.

“HEY! LISTEN TO ME WHEN I’M TALKING, FUCKER!” Romano yelled, forcibly turning Veneziano towards him.

“Now tell me what the hell brought this on–are you fucking crying?!”

“No! Well, yeah… sorry…”

Veneziano viciously rubbed at his eyes. Apparently even he could be embarrassed about crying over such a trivial matter.

Listening to his brother’s quiet hiccups as he desperately wiped away at his big, fat tears, Romano felt like he just kicked a puppy or something.

Ugh, fuck guilt.

What even was the question that started all this anyways? It was something about dying. Going to heaven or hell or the ocean (of all places) and all that.

“Listen, stupid asshole,” Romano said as he laid back down, facing his brother, “It was a joke, okay? Learn to take them.”

“Sorry, big brother…”

“Ugh, no, lemme finish, bastard!”

“Eep! Sorry again!”

“Ugh, okay. Listen closely, Veneziano.”

Veneziano seemed to take his words to heart, his tears tapering away as he gazed curiously at his older brother.

“You are the last person on Earth who would ever go to hell, you dumbass. You’re always, I don’t even know, helping lost kids at the mall and feeding stray animals you find on the street and all that shit.”

“Mhm, it’s good to do things like that. But fratello, you do that too. So does Germany and Japan and Miss Hungary and Prussia and…”

“Yeah, well you do other things too! And you’re always so stupid happy and loving and shit. Anyways! Point is that I’m pretty sure you’ve bought a one way ticket to heaven at this point.”

“Then so have you!”

“Erm, yeah, sure.”

Great, now he was embarrassed.

“Now can we let this matter drop?”

“But what if I get sent to the ocean? Ooh but I could stay closer to you if I did! You could just visit me in the water sometimes. So could my friends! That would not be so bad.”

Ok, it was official. This talk was making him uneasy. That faraway look in Veneziano’s eyes wasn’t helping either.

“Oh for God’s sake, Veneziano! Why do you even need to think about this? Isn’t this a pretty screwed up thing to daydream about? You aren’t going to die or anything so get your head out of the clouds and get to napping!”

The awkward silence that followed made Romano even more uneasy.

“Oh yeah, you’re right. Haha. Sorry, big brother, I’ll do that.”

A cold feeling seeped into Romano’s bones when he heard the uncertainty in his brother’s voice. He knew exactly what this was about.

There was one representative per nation for every other nation. Why was Italy so special? The north and south had been united for well over a century now. It might be time…

They had both thought it. Or Romano knew he had. Apparently Veneziano’s been worrying about the same thing. And, from the sound of it, he’d prepared himself to duck out.

Romano never thought he could feel a word, but the word ‘unacceptable’ suddenly seemed to flow through his veins and carve into his bones. It welled up in his chest until all he could do was scream it out.

“Whatever bullshit you’re thinking, cut that shit out! We’re not going anywhere! Aren’t you supposed to be the hopeful one?! I change my answer! You’re not going to heaven or hell or the stupid ocean, you’re staying right here with me! Do you hear me, you happy-go-lucky idiot brother of mine?! You’re not dying and running off to live an easy life with the dolphins or something equally as stupid! You’re not leaving me in this shithole alone with fucking Spain and your army of stupid grieving friends! You aren’t dumping me with your shitty northern problems! I won’t let you!  _I won’t let you!_ ”

Romano had no idea when he had gotten up. Or when he’d started pacing. Or when he’d started crying. Or when Veneziano had gotten up with him. Or when his baby brother had slid his arms around him and started humming some melody that Romano couldn’t place. He only knew that the next thing he knew, his face was buried in Veneziano’s shoulder and they were slowly sinking to their knees into the sand.

“I’m sorry, big brother. I shouldn’t have brought it up. You’re right, there’s no reason anyone has to die. It was just a silly thing I thought up. I won’t think of it again. Let’s go lay down now, okay?”

“You’re damn right you won’t think of it again.”

“I promise. Never again. So please don’t be upset anymore.”

“I won’t let you go just like that.”

“I know.”

“So don’t you dare even think about dying anymore.”

“I promise, I do! Never again.”

“We’ll be the two Italy’s forever, you shitstain.”

“Of course, I promise.”

* * *

_epilogue._

* * *

Veneziano wiped at his brother’s tears again.

He had never meant to upset his brother so much that he’d cry in his sleep. It really was just something silly that had occured to him when he couldn’t fall asleep. He should have known to keep it to himself but then he’s been told he has no brain-mouth filter. He’s just usually lucky enough that his thoughts are happy ones.

His brother’s tears wouldn’t stop coming and it tugged at Veneziano’s heart.

And then he felt another tug at his heart, this time not from any strong emotion.

He wondered how long until his brother noticed he was losing his strength. Probably not for a good four or five decades yet. Would death follow soon after? Probably not. Nations didn’t get to die out like that. He remembered his grandpa’s death. Erratic was the only word that came to mind. He was weak then he was strong. He was conquering territories then he was vomiting for days from the internal conflicts. He’d come back with gifts and spoils from his campaigns then the next day with new wounds that would turn into new scars. And all the while, his amazing strength trickled away from him little by little.

Would his death be like that? Or would he be allowed to just fade out? Veneziano was pretty sure he could push a century yet. He felt it, he had at least that much left in him. But forever was something he should never have promised his brother.

As if sensing he’d been lied to, Romano suddenly groaned and his brow creased. Veneziano reached over and stroked his brother’s hair back, carefully avoiding The Curl.

He felt his heartbeat jump precariously again. He wondered if it was a flood in Venice. It was the season after all. Or maybe he should get used to his heart just doing that from now on.

“This isn’t a matter of letting or not anymore, huh?”

Romano only snored lightly in response.

“I’m sorry, big brother. I don’t think our promise can stop this.”

No response again. Not that he’d actually want his older brother to hear him.

Veneziano turned his head to peer out into the open water.

“Well then. Heaven or the ocean?”

* * *

_fin._

* * *

 


End file.
